Arthur Goswell was born at St Asaph, Wales, in 1901. While he presumably served an apprenticeship, he came relatively late to race-riding, being almost thirty before having his first ride under National Hunt rules, when finishing unplaced on Coppernob at Huntingdon on Easter Monday, April 6, 1931.
It was not until the following season that he had his first win, at Gatwick on December 3, when his mount Guerrillero, trained by Robert Wilmot, was second past the post in the Horsham Selling Hurdle. An objection by Arthur to the winner, Willow King, ridden by Daniel McCann on grounds of ‘crossing and boring’ was sustained, giving Arthur his first victory.
Exactly one year later he had his second win when Drakensburg, also trained by Wilmot, won the Round Oak Moderate Handicap Hurdle at Newbury by eight lengths. They followed up at Plumpton nine days later, this time over fences, in the Ovingdean Handicap Chase.
Arthur had to wait nearly three years for his next victory, which finally came at Hawthorn Hill when Don Zuniga, owned and trained by Owen Anthony, won the Clewer Selling Chase. Later that season, he rode two winners in two days at Torquay’s 1936 Easter meeting, guiding Richard II to take the Torquay Selling Handicap Hurdle on the first day, and Brigade to land the Babbacombe Selling Handicap Chase on the second day.
There followed a period when Arthur relinquished his licence, but he came back and had one more victory when Zylos, trained by Arthur Saxby, won the Bramham Chase at Wetherby by six lengths on November 15, 1941.
He gave up riding in 1942 and joined Owen Anthony as travelling head lad, before moving to America where he trained many winners from his Fairhill, Maryland headquarters.
Arthur Goswell died in Maryland in September 1995, aged 94.
He had five sons, four of whom – Gary, Mike, Gerry and Tony – followed in their father’s footsteps by becoming jockeys and, between them, rode around 300 winners.
Arthur Goswell’s winners were, in chronological order:
1. Guerrillero, Gatwick, December 3, 1931
2. Drakensburg, Newbury, December 3, 1932
3. Drakensburg, Plumpton, December 12, 1932
4. Don Zuniga, Hawthorn Hill, November 4, 1935
5. Richard II, Torquay, April 13, 1936
6. Brigade, Torquay, April 14, 1936
7. Zylos, Wetherby, November 15, 1941